Which brokers are regulated by the DFSA in Dubai? (AU)

Q: Which brokers are regulated by the DFSA in Dubai?

The complete, current list is on the DFSA's public register. Of the three brokers we rank, only Pepperstone is DFSA-regulated, through Pepperstone Financial Services (DIFC) Ltd, reference F004356. Capital.com is regulated in the UAE by the UAE CMA instead, and XS holds no UAE licence.

Which brokers are regulated by the DFSA in Dubai?

Which brokers are regulated by the DFSA in Dubai? The DFSA register lists them all. Of the brokers we rank, only Pepperstone holds a DFSA licence (F004356).

At a glance

The full list of DFSA-regulated brokers is on the DFSA's public register, and that is the only list you should trust. Of the three brokers we rank, only Pepperstone holds a DFSA licence, through Pepperstone Financial Services (DIFC) Ltd, reference F004356, so it is our first pick here. At Best Trading Signal (BestTradingSignal.com) we rank Capital.com second: it is regulated onshore by the UAE CMA with a Category One dealing licence, not by the DFSA. XS is third: it holds no UAE licence, but it runs our free-signals offer.

Two UAE regulators cover our brokers: the DFSA for firms in the DIFC, and the UAE CMA (formerly the SCA) onshore
Pepperstone: DFSA reference F004356 for Pepperstone Financial Services (DIFC) Ltd
Capital.com: UAE CMA Category One dealing licence No. 20200000176; no DFSA licence
XS: no UAE licence; regulated in Seychelles, Cyprus, South Africa and Mauritius
Licence type matters: an introduction-only licence is not a licence to deal with you
Still high risk: Pepperstone's DFSA page shows no loss figure; 73.6% of its retail accounts lose money under the FCA

Which forex brokers are regulated in the UAE?

A broker is regulated in the UAE when one of its companies holds a licence from the DFSA (for the Dubai International Financial Centre) or from the UAE Capital Market Authority (onshore, formerly the SCA). Abu Dhabi Global Market has its own regulator, the FSRA. We do not reproduce the regulators' full lists, because they change. Here is where our three brokers stand.

Pepperstone is the only one of the three with a DFSA licence. If that is what you need, you can open a Pepperstone account and check the entity name in the client agreement before you fund.

Our three brokers and their UAE status

Our three brokers and their UAE status
Broker	UAE company	Regulator	Licence
Pepperstone	Pepperstone Financial Services (DIFC) Ltd	DFSA	F004356
Pepperstone	Pepperstone Financial Services LLC	UAE CMA	20200000358 (introduction and consultation only)
Capital.com	Capital Com MENA Securities Trading LLC	UAE CMA	Category One dealing licence No. 20200000176
XS	None	No UAE regulator	Regulated abroad only

What is the difference between the DFSA and the UAE CMA?

The DFSA regulates financial firms inside the DIFC, a financial free zone in Dubai with its own rules. The UAE CMA regulates onshore financial activity, outside the free-zone financial centres. Both are real UAE regulators; they simply cover different ground.

So the question "DFSA or not?" is too narrow. Capital.com, for example, has no DFSA licence but holds an onshore dealing licence from the UAE CMA. What you need is a firm whose licence, from either regulator, covers the service it provides to you.

What protections do DFSA-regulated brokers give retail clients?

A DFSA licence means the firm is supervised by the DFSA and must follow its rulebook, including rules on how client money is held and how retail clients are treated. If a dispute is not resolved by the firm, you have a regulator to escalate it to.

We do not list specific DFSA leverage caps, compensation limits or balance-protection rules here, because we have not verified them for every firm. Read them in the DFSA rulebook and in your own client agreement. Also note what a licence never covers: trading losses. Pepperstone's DFSA page shows no loss-rate percentage, but under its other regulators most retail CFD accounts lose money.

Which forex brokers have an office in Dubai?

Among our three, Pepperstone's DFSA entity sits in the DIFC, which is in Dubai. Capital.com operates in the UAE through Capital Com MENA Securities Trading LLC, a UAE-licensed company. XS has no UAE licence.

An office is not the point, though. Some firms rent an address in Dubai without a licence to deal with retail clients. What protects you is the licence and its scope, not the street address. Always check the register, not the business card.

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Trading forex and CFDs carries a real risk of losing money. Our signals are general market analysis, not personal financial advice.

Which forex brokers can I legally use in the UAE?

We are not lawyers, and this is not legal advice. The cautious route for a UAE resident is a broker whose UAE company holds a dealing licence from the DFSA or the UAE CMA, so a UAE regulator stands behind your account. Pepperstone (DFSA) and Capital.com (UAE CMA) both fit that test, provided your client agreement names the licensed UAE company.

XS is regulated in Seychelles, Cyprus, South Africa and Mauritius, but not in the UAE. If you use it, your protections come from the foreign regulator named in your agreement. For Islamic accounts, note that Pepperstone does not offer swap-free accounts to UAE residents, while Capital.com and XS do. Our guide on safe brokers for GCC residents covers this further.

How can I check if a forex broker in the UAE is regulated?

It takes about five minutes. Do every step yourself, using the regulator's own website, not a link sent by the broker or a salesperson.

Five checks on a UAE broker's licence

Five checks on a UAE broker's licence
Step	What to do	Red flag
1. Get the legal name	Copy the company name from the client agreement	Only a brand name, no company
2. Pick the register	DFSA register for DIFC firms; UAE CMA list for onshore firms	The broker says to "trust" a certificate image
3. Match the number	For Pepperstone's DIFC entity, look for F004356	Number missing or for a different company
4. Read the scope	Confirm the licence covers dealing with retail clients	Introduction or advice only
5. Match the website	Check the domain the register lists	A look-alike domain

Can you use Best Trading Signal's signals with a DFSA-regulated account?

Yes. Each Best Trading Signal alert includes an entry, a take-profit and a stop-loss, so it works on a Pepperstone account from any of its platforms. On Pepperstone, you receive signals through the paid subscription on our Telegram bot.

Our free signals are available only through XS: open an XS account through our link and deposit $400, which remains your own trading capital. That route does not come with a UAE licence, so weigh it against the DFSA option. You can review our past signals on the performance page. Past results do not guarantee future results, and no signal is certain to win.

Checklist before you open an account in the UAE

If a DFSA-regulated account is your priority, open your Pepperstone account here.

Disclosure: we may earn a commission from Pepperstone, Capital.com and XS if you open an account through our links. That does not change what we publish about them. This page is general education, not personal investment or legal advice.

Risk warning (Pepperstone): 73.6% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading spread bets and CFDs with this provider under the FCA, 74.1% under CySEC, 76.1% under BaFin, 80% under the SCB and 88% under the CMA (Kenya). The DFSA (UAE) page shows no percentage. The figure depends on the entity your account is opened with. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.

Name the entity: find the full company name in the client agreement.
Search the right register: DFSA for the DIFC, UAE CMA for onshore firms.
Check the licence scope: dealing, not introduction or advice only.
Decide on swap-free first: Pepperstone does not offer it to UAE residents.
Confirm AED funding: Pepperstone takes AED deposits through a UAE local bank account; it does not offer AED accounts.

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1Open an XS account through our link
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3Send your proof on Telegram and every signal is free

Open an XS account

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No broker account needed — subscribe through our Telegram bot and get every signal with a clear entry, take-profit and stop-loss, straight to your phone.

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Our trading signals are a separate service run by Best Trading Signal. They are not provided or endorsed by any broker; free access with an XS deposit is our own offer.

Trading forex and CFDs carries a real risk of losing money. Our signals are general market analysis, not personal financial advice.

Written and reviewed by

Best Trading Signal — editorial & analysis team

We review brokers on licensing, cost and withdrawals — and state the cons, not just the pros. How our signals are produced · Risk Disclosure · Last updated 21 October 2026

Frequently asked questions

The complete, current list is on the DFSA's public register. Of the three brokers we rank, only Pepperstone is DFSA-regulated, through Pepperstone Financial Services (DIFC) Ltd, reference F004356. Capital.com is regulated in the UAE by the UAE CMA instead, and XS holds no UAE licence.

No. Capital.com does not hold a DFSA licence. It is regulated in the UAE onshore through Capital Com MENA Securities Trading LLC, which holds a UAE CMA Category One dealing licence (No. 20200000176). It also offers swap-free and AED accounts to UAE residents, which Pepperstone does not.

No. Pepperstone Financial Services LLC holds UAE CMA licence 20200000358 for introduction and financial consultation only. That licence does not cover dealing with retail clients. Pepperstone's DFSA-regulated company is the DIFC entity, under reference F004356. Read your client agreement to see which entity holds your account.

No. XS holds no UAE licence. It is regulated by the FSA Seychelles (SD089), CySEC (412/22), the FSCA in South Africa (53199) and the FSC Mauritius (GB25204786). We rank it third because it runs our free-signals offer, not because of UAE regulation.

No. A DFSA licence means the firm is supervised and must follow rules on client money and conduct. It does not protect you from market losses. Leveraged CFDs remain high risk: under Pepperstone's other regulators, between 73.6% and 88% of retail accounts lose money.

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Trading forex, CFDs and crypto carries a real risk of losing money and isn't suitable for everyone — our signals are analyst opinions and general information, not personal financial advice, and past performance is no guarantee of future results.

Last updated 21 October 2026